PDA

View Full Version : Animals Possess Same Consciousness As Humans?



singular_me
7th July 2013, 12:45 PM
the way I see it: different levels of consciousness should complete one another, but in a society in which humans are taught to behave like animals, such conclusions doesn't surprise me.

==========
Animals Possess Same Consciousness As Humans: Cambridge Declaration on Consciousness
Sunday, July 7, 2013 4:22


A year ago on, July 7, 2012, a prominent international group of cognitive neuroscientists,
neuropharmacologists, neurophysiologists, neuroanatomists and computational neuroscientists
gathered at The University of Cambridge to reassess the neurobiological substrates of conscious
experience and related behaviors in human and non-human animals. While comparative research on
this topic is naturally hampered by the inability of non-human animals, and often humans, to clearly
and readily communicate about their internal states, the following observations can be stated
unequivocally:

The field of Consciousness research is rapidly evolving. Abundant new techniques and strategies
for human and non-human animal research have been developed. Consequently, more data is
becoming readily available, and this calls for a periodic reevaluation of previously held
preconceptions in this field. Studies of non-human animals have shown that homologous brain
circuits correlated with conscious experience and perception can be selectively facilitated and
disrupted to assess whether they are in fact necessary for those experiences. Moreover, in
humans, new non-invasive techniques are readily available to survey the correlates of
consciousness...........

We declare the following: “The absence of a neocortex does not appear to preclude an organism from experiencing affective states. Convergent evidence indicates that non-human animals have the
neuroanatomical, neurochemical, and neurophysiological substrates of conscious states along with
the capacity to exhibit intentional behaviors. Consequently, the weight of evidence indicates that
humans are not unique in possessing the neurological substrates that generate consciousness. Nonhuman animals, including all mammals and birds, and many other creatures, including octopuses, also possess these neurological substrates.”

http://beforeitsnews.com/animals-pets/2013/07/animals-possess-same-consciousness-as-humans-cambridge-declaration-on-consciousness-2448766.html?utm_content=beforeit39snews-verticalresponse&utm_source=direct-b4in.info&utm_medium=verticalresponse&utm_campaign=&utm_term=http%3A%2F%2Fb4in.info%2FsAi2

more

midnight rambler
7th July 2013, 01:21 PM
Humans may be animal-like but humans are NOT animals. Still more evidence the 'highly educated' are full of shit.


the way I see it: different levels of consciousness should complete one another

I concur. My dogs are capable of being aware of things I cannot be aware of as quickly as they can - which is one of the main reasons I keep 'em.

Santa
7th July 2013, 01:34 PM
My chickens are more conscious than some humans I've known.

madfranks
7th July 2013, 01:44 PM
I would add that it's important to define consciousness for this essay. Yes, insects can feel pain but that doesn't mean they share the same level of consciousness as humans. Moral consciousness vs physical stimulation consciousness are very different things.

Libertytree
7th July 2013, 01:56 PM
But...the real question is, are they assentient (sp?) beings? Consciousness is one thing but being fully aware is quite another.

Animals (domestic) are often more humane than humans but ya don't want to turn your back on a gator or a bear, that goes for a lot of of humans too I reckon.

iOWNme
7th July 2013, 02:27 PM
What separates man from the animal kingdom is his ability to make moral choices.

If a Lion in the wild kills for food no matter how cruel and vicious his actions may be, we would not say his actions were moral or immoral, because he does not have a moral choice he only has instinct. Man has the ability to reason and then judge his actions accordingly. Because man does have choice over his actions, he is able to make moral choices that animals cannot.

But to say they 'possess the same consciousness' seems a bit of a stretch to say the least. Animals have no ability to make choices based on reason, logic rationality, etc. Its not like a lion can figure out other ways to feed himself because 'killing' other animals is wrong. LOL

Serpo
7th July 2013, 02:28 PM
In fact they maybe smarter http://rense.com/1.imagesH/corn.jpg